birds of a feather flock together
by reallyhatebananas
Summary: Astoria Greengrass is an uncommon girl with an uncommon name and a most uncommon life. She certainly can't afford to be afraid of something so... common. Perhaps it will take another to bring her out of her shell - and into a paradise.


**AN:** My story for the 'Paradise Competition' by **MidnightEmberMisery** on HPCF. This was my first time writing Astoria—so, enjoy!

**WARNING: **Tiny bit of femmeslash near the end. Seriously. You blink, you miss it. I almost didn't realize that I'd _written_ it. So if you get offended by that sort of thing- well. If you want to miss an entire story to avoid one non-descriptive kiss between two girls, go ahead.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned HP the dark side would have won. It didn't. Go figure.

**xXxX**

Astoria Greengrass had never liked birds.

Really, she didn't. They were foul, nasty things, with their horrible shrieking and the painful hooked beaks. Their feathers got over _all _of her robes, and her best evening dress had been ruined when a delivering owl dug its talons into it. Even the strongest Reparo had not fully cinched the fabric, and Astoria had been far too proud to ask a teacher, or say—that Granger girl—for assistance. After all, if there was a spell a Greengrass didn't know, it wasn't _worth_ knowing, or so her father said.

Aeneas Greengrass was a man fully convinced of his omniscience, and who was Astoria to challenge him?

She was no common house elf or mudblood. She was a _pureblood_, engaged to a Malfoy, and as such her behavior must reflect her rank and status.

This gem was courtesy of Astoria's mother, Eudora.

Sometimes Astoria truly resented her parents. After all, when she—second daughter of a pureblood wizarding line with both French and Greek ancestry—had been born, the possibilities for names were endless. They could have gone _regal, royal_… they could have named her something to do with power or cleverness and beauty or rank.

Honestly, her own _mother's_ name was a synonym for riches and gifts! Her sister was named Daphne! By rights, the newborn should have been named something that represented all the glory and _pride_ of her status.

However, in a moment of unequivocal stupidity, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass had decided, staring tenderly down at the squalling babe, to name the girl after a _bird_.

And so began the life of Astoria, otherwise known as 'Hawk's Eye' and, if one wished to be especially plebian, the English translation of "Like a Hawk."

Astoria had really, truly hated birds, all her life.

**xXxX**

It wasn't new to her, of course; any pureblood family worth its salt made a point to know one or two useless tidbits about the muggles. _Know thy enemy_ and all that. Once, reading a dusty tomb late into the night, Astoria had come across a hidden shelf in her family's library. She had taken one glance at the brightly-colored, plastic-bound, practically _anti_-pureblood books and scoffed, but hours later had found her still in the exact same position, staring at the muggle objects with an expression that was half repulsion and half longing. After casting a quick privacy ward and setting her wand as a clock she had hidden the book, and herself, in a corner away from prying eyes so that she could read undisturbed.

It was in that book that she had discovered the land of magic far from her own—flying cars, and moving stairs, and some sort of world-wide communication called the _spider web_—or something silly like that—all without magic! Astoria supposed the muggles couldn't be _too _bad, not if they'd managed to do so well for themselves. They were quite like purebloods in a way.

Thus began Astoria's vow to learn everything she could about them.

She did it in secret, of course, knowing that her parents and future wedded family would never approve. Astoria, however, was far from helpless when not underneath the protection of her surname. Being a Ravenclaw (yet another bird reference—perhaps it was her lot in life), Astoria was friends with several half-bloods and even a muggleborn or two.

After all, unlike the Slytherins, her bookish housemates would not tolerate prejudice. This didn't affect Astoria hugely—unlike her parents and sister, she'd never put too much stock in blood status. Pansy Parkinson, Daphne's closest friend, was about as pure as they came, but had no brains to speak of. Astoria assumed that some people were born like squibs that way, only lacking in wit instead of magic. Personally, she preferred it the other way.

Then there was her friendship with Ginny Weasley.

Astoria had first heard met the red-haired girl when she was eight. Her father had been out on _important business_, something that had later been revealed to be an hour or so of sweet-talking a muggle girl he fancied in a pub. Astoria had been left outside, glumly staring up at the the sky, when a girl who looked about her age had slowly walked down the lane. She had perked up a bit but the girl ignored her, so Astoria went back to her watch against birds.

Suddenly the girl had glanced 'round and headed straight over to her, sitting down beside her on the step. "What's your name?"

Now that she was _there_, talking to her, Astoria froze. "I…I mean," she stammered, "You're magical, right?" In retrospect that hadn't been the most subtle way of asking, but Astoria had panicked at the thought of being seen associating with a _muggle_. Apparently, her father's serving girl was a special case.

The girl had smiled. "Yeah, and my mum and dad and brothers are, too. I'm Ginny Weasley. Who're you?"

"Astoria Greengrass." Astoria was now perfectly all right to be seen with this girl—not only was she a witch, but a _pureblood_. Her parents had not yet explained the concept of blood traitors and after that day, any halfhearted lecture they did give was met with apathy. After all, Astoria had met Ginny, and she had quite liked the girl.

This lack of prejudice had probably been what led to her being sorted into Ravenclaw, not Slytherin, an event which had left her parents severely disappointed. However, it certainly wasn't as bad as if Astoria had been sorted into Gryffindor, or, perish the thought—_Hufflepuff_.

She would have been disinherited on the spot.

**xXxX**

"Ginny."

A few heads turned at the sight—youngest in a line of fanatical blood-purists associating with one of the famed blood-_traitors_, but most stayed unaffected. After all, Astoria and Ginny met, often in public, nearly every day. It certainly wasn't unheard of for a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw to have developed a friendship.

Ginny stretched her neck upwards, looking back at her friend. "Yes?" A girl sitting beside her—muggleborn, judging by her posture—glanced at Astoria with a distinctly unpleasant expression. Whoever said Gryffindors were welcoming, Astoria reflected, was clearly delusional. They were the worst of the lot.

"Ginny. My book? I thought you said it'd arrive today—or was it yesterday? Anyway…" Astoria trailed off, affronted, as the mudblood glowered at her. "And what's _your_ problem, may I ask?"

"Keri, stop it," Ginny whispered shortly, before turning back to Astoria. "Sorry. Anyway, it hasn't arrived yet. I thought maybe—ah, here it is!" Her words were interrupted by a screech and thunderous flapping of wings as owls streamed into the Great Hall. Caught by surprise, Astoria flinched back ever so slightly.

Ginny stared at the unexpected lapse in pureblood frigidity. "Astoria, what—?" She broke off as a tawny owl landed in front of her, dropping a parcel into her bowl of porridge. "Thanks."

"You'd think after all this time they'd have better aim," Astoria grumbled, sticking her hand into the mash-filled tub and fishing around for the book. Sighing in disgust, she withdrew a sopping wet bundle and shook it vigorously.

"Thanks, Gin—sorry! _Scourgify_. Anyway, I'll be seeing you later, I expect." With a pat on her friend's shoulder and one last sneer for the dull-looking girl sitting beside her, Astoria turned to walk out of the noisy breakfast hall.

After all, chatter-filled meals were just one step below birds in her list of things most hated.

**xXxX**

Astoria decided to skip classes that day—after all, what use were Transfiguration and Arithmancy when the Dark Lord would soon return? She may have been a Ravenclaw but her entire family was Slytherin—and allied with him. Astoria was nearly certain that nobody in her family had taken the mark, but really, what was that other than a one-way ticket to Azkaban? Many of the most fervent Dark supporters were explicitly told to _not_ take it, in order to be ready and willing to serve if ever the Lord were to fall.

Sometimes Astoria wondered exactly how much he knew.

Even if they had been neutral like the Zabinis or the Davises, Astoria would have been perfectly in-the-know. Her future husband was, after all, heir to perhaps the darkest family in Wizarding Britain.

With such important thoughts of the future on her mind, Astoria opted to skip her next classes. Honestly, nobody in her family would care much at all—except for Potions. Daphne would have her _head_ if she were to miss Potions.

Luckily, Astoria didn't have that particular class for another day or two. She felt perfectly justified in spending the day in her newest book.

Laying back on her luxurious bed and drawing the hangings, Astoria removed the dreadful-looking brown wrapping with a wave of her wand. Like any good pureblood, she had been taught wordless magic with her father's wand from the age of six. She hadn't yet mastered it, though, something which brought endless disappointment to her mother. At least she was proficient in the most basic of charms.

Astoria glanced once at the title—_Muggle Laws and Ways Around Them: Leave them Gaping_—and snorted. _Laws_. That was a fine way to describe the utter chaos she'd learned about in past readings. Honestly, the muggle's world seemed nearly as bad as the Wizarding World was. Now twelve years old, Astoria no longer held any illusions about the state of things.

Ever since their first meeting, she had been friends with the red-haired Weasley girl. They'd contacted each other by owl and met up by Floo, and soon forged a bond tighter than Astoria had ever known before.

A few weeks into their friendship, Ginny had mentioned her father's love for muggles. This had led to a confession by Astoria, who had been longing to read a bit more about them. The two girls had soon established a system whereupon Astoria supplied the money and Ginny, protected by her status as blood-traitor, Owl-ordered the most interesting books on the muggle world that she could find. She would hand the packages off to Astoria during their meetings or, once the girls had entered Hogwarts one after another, during mealtime.

After all, Ginny's father adored the non-magical population. There was no need for secrecy in _her_ family.

Astoria's, however, was an entirely different matter.

**xXxX**

The girls planned to meet after dinner that day in their trademark spot by the lake, beneath the shadow of a sapling, and as per usual Astoria arrived first. High-society purebloods were, after all, renowned for their punctuality. Astoria had often wondered who had planted the young tree—in a place like Hogwarts, most everything was centuries old—and this curiosity had caused her to return to the spot until it was habit. Ginny was the one person she'd ever shared the place with, apart from Daphne. The sisters were, after all, exceptionally close.

"Tori." Astoria looked up at the sound of Ginny's voice and smiled, making room for the older girl to sit. "How was the book?"

"It was lovely, thank you," she said quietly. "I get a real laugh from reading about those foolish little people."

Both girls knew that Astoria was far more interested in muggle ways than she was disdainful, but stayed quiet. After all, it wouldn't do for her family line to be tainted by the label _blood-traitor_.

In some ways Astoria truly envied Ginny. She was already free in that regard.

Ginny bumped hips with her friend, nudging her into the damp sand.

"Hey! These robes are new, I'll have you know!"

"Right," Ginny snorted. "I'll try to remember that next time." She rested her chin on her hands. "Astoria…"

The girl in question glanced up, pushing dark curls out of her eyes. "Gin. I have a question."

"Ask away, m'dear," Ginny said, sighing as she stretched out on the ground. Her robes could certainly not be called _new_, and any additional dirt wouldn't make much difference at all.

Astoria frowned. "So this morning, at breakfast. Remember that girl who was glaring at me—I think you called her Keri? I meant to ask you—what _was_ her problem? I'm quite sure I've never spoken to her before in my life…"

"Oh. Right." Ginny grimaced and sat up rather abruptly, making Astoria squeak in surprise when she grabbed her arm for balance. "Well, I expect you're right about never meeting her before. Her name's Keri Davis—"

"Davis? As in Tracy Davis in my sister's year?"

Ginny shook her head once, swatting an insect away with one hand. "Bugger. Mosquitos are starting to come out."

"Here," Astoria sighed, pointing her slender wand lazily at the cloud of pests. "_Arcendam_." Nothing happened, and she frowned before jabbing her wand in the air again. "_Muscula Arcendam_." The bugs immediately dispersed and the girl replaced her wand in its holster before turning to her friend with an expectant look on her face. "You were saying?"

"Davis. Keri Davis. No relation to your Tracy—she's muggleborn with no magical relatives, as far as I know. Anyway. Her aunt and uncle were killed in a Death Eater raid two days ago. She just got the news today."

Astoria raised one eyebrow, beginning to frown. "And what's that have to do with me?"

"Well…" Ginny shuffled uncomfortably. "Nothing, really. She's just… feeling a bit resentful towards all Slytherins right—"

"Excuse me?" Astoria pushed Ginny's arm away and turned to look at her incredulously. "I'm a _Ravenclaw_!"

"Well, yes, but you're a pureblood—your whole family's in Slytherin—"

"_You're a pureblood too!_" Astoria, realizing her voice had risen, glanced towards the school to see a couple of first year Hufflepuffs staring open-mouthed at her. She gave them her best glare and turned back to Ginny, flushed with anger. "I can't believe you. You're supposed to be my _friend_ and you're just as prejudiced as the rest—"

"Good God, Astoria," Ginny said, rolling her eyes but looking mildly guilty at the same time, "I'm a _blood-traitor_. I hardly count as a pureblood. And you can't deny that your family's dark—you're engaged to _Draco Malfoy_, for heaven's sake! He's practically You-Know-Who's heir!"

"So what?" Astoria half-shrieked, previous worries about privacy forgotten. "You know that's not my choice! Ginny, I thought you knew me better than that! I'm _not _a Death Eater!"

"Tori…" Ginny halfheartedly reached for her hand but Astoria yanked it out of her grasp, rising to her feet.

"No." Earlier that day she may have been contemplating the Dark Lord without malice, but she _did not_ serve him. Astoria was _sick_ of the assumptions, of the prejudice that managed to follow her even into a separate house. She was interested in _muggles_, for heaven's sake!

_Stupid Gryffindors_.

Ignoring the Weasley girl as she stuttered out explanations, Astoria wheeled and headed back towards the castle. Maybe there she'd find the peace and quiet for which she was longing.

**xXxX**

Astoria sulked through her classes for the next few days. A few over-inquisitive Ravenclaws and even her _sister_ asked her if something was troubling her, but Astoria stayed quiet. Her friendship with Ginny may have been public knowledge, but there was no need to bring undue attention to it. After all, the girl _was_ a blood-traitor.

On Thursday night, Astoria, after a fierce argument with the entrance to her common room, stumbled up the stairs and slammed her dormitory door with a satisfying bang. The one girl already inside glanced up. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, just the portrait—made me answer three bloody questions," Astoria replied distractedly. She glanced up before doing a double take. "What the—Sheryl? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you in _Slytherin_?" Astoria had begun to wonder if perhaps she had gone crazy after all.

Sheryl Gibson, fifth-year Slytherin, grinned and nodded. "Your sister sent me. Your bird phobia and all—your parents sent her a letter to give to you instead of making you interact with an owl. Quite silly, really."

"Right," Astoria said faintly, sinking down onto her bed next to Sheryl. She took the letter and pushed it under her pillow without opening it. "Mind telling me how you got in?" Astoria trusted the Slytherins—they were, after all, like a second family to her—but that didn't make her oblivious to their more cunning side.

"Please." The taller girl snorted and got up, heading for the door. "Astoria, you're in _Ravenclaw_. _Anybody_ can get in as long as you answer the question, and anyone with half a bloody brain can do that. You don't even need to remember a password!" The door thumped loudly as it swung closed.

Astoria frowned. Come to think of it, the password issue _was_ rather ridiculous. _Perhaps I should talk to Flitwick about it_, she mused, retrieving the letter from her pillow and opening it with a wave of her wand. She hadn't gotten a paper cut since age five.

The Ravenclaw shook her head once, pushing the strange encounter out of her mind, and began to read.

_My darling Astoria:_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Your sister has informed your father and me of your latest exploits, and I must express my pride in you, dear. An Outstanding in your Arithmancy class, you say? Simply marvelous! I never took the course myself, but your father did and he only ever managed an Exceeds Expectations. I'll save you the honor of telling him—I expect he'll be quite proud! Perhaps he'll agree to buy you a pet as reward. I know you've wanted a cat for quite a while, dear, but I must say an owl is far more likely. Speaking of which; you simply __must__ get over this silly fear of birds, Astoria. It's really not becoming of a pureblood._

_I haven't much to say at the moment, dear, so this letter will be quite short. However, I must give you one small piece of advice. You're going to be married to Draco Malfoy in only a few years, darling. Now, quite apart from behaving accordingly, I must ask you to do one thing—watch over him. Your sister tells me that Draco has confided in her a bit this year about what is to come. You and I both know what may happen. If you ever believe he's too far gone, however, your father and I would be only too happy to cancel the arrangement. After all, the Malfoys may be a prestigious family, but times change. We cannot allow the family name to be stained, now can we?_

_With all my love,_

_Mother_

Astoria rolled her eyes, lighting the paper on fire and vanishing after a moment of watching it burn. Secrecy was an absolute must in any old wizarding family—not that it mattered much, to be honest. All of the letters she received were the same; filled with small hints and trivial information. An outsider would gain nothing from reading one.

"Enjoying yourself?"

With a yelp of surprise, Astoria whipped around, losing hold of her wand. She watched it clatter across the wooden floor, still breathing hard, before turning to the newest arrival. It was Kassandra Bundwell, a half-blood who Astoria was on quite good terms with.

"At least _you're_ actually part of this dormitory," she grumbled, reaching down to retrieve her wand. Kassandra summoned it quickly and handed it back. "Thanks."

Kassandra raised an eyebrow. "What, no hello? And I even brought you a present."

"Excuse me?"

"No, you're not," Kass said, grinning faintly. "Right, so—here."

Astoria accepted the parcel—it was a suspiciously familiar shape, all wrapped up in old copies of the Daily Prophet—and shook it once. "Why're you giving it to me, then? My birthday's not for ages."

"I know that, you prat." Kass rolled her eyes and began rooting through her trunk for some chocolates. "And it's not from me. Your friend—the Weasley girl, Ginny—"

"—she's_ not_—"

"Don't care," Kassandra said firmly. "Come off it, Astoria. The girl gave you a present and her family's certainly not made of money. If I were you I'd quit being such a bloody prat and make up with her—ah ha! Want one?"

Astoria took the proffered candy and bit into it, relishing the flavor. Ginny's favorite candy was chocolate, and Astoria had been the one to introduce it to her.

**xXxX**

"Ginny _Weasley_!" Astoria called out as loudly as she dared without drawing attention to herself. She watched the redhead turn to look at her after dismissing her friends.

"Well?"

"Look," Astoria said, staring uncomfortably at the doors to the Great Hall, "sorry about the other day. I know I should've let you explain."

Ginny smiled. "'s fine, Tori. I _did_ insult you first—I shouldn't have. Sorry about that." Her grin broadened when Astoria nodded in thanks. "So. Did you like my present?"

"Oh. That," Astoria snorted, linking arms with her friend and dragging her in to eat breakfast. "It's a nice thought, of course—but what're you playing at, giving me a book on birds?"

Ginny scoffed loudly, obviously having no qualms with behaving in a distinctly unladylike fashion. "I've been your friend for four years and you think I don't know what you're scared of?"

"I'm not—"

Ginny pressed her hand over Astoria's mouth, effectively cutting her off. "Yes. You are. Read chapter nineteen, Tori. It's all about people afraid of birds—it's called Ornithophobia, I think. I already looked it over and you've most likely got it."

"Ha." It was Astoria's turn to scoff. "I may find muggles _interesting_, Ginny, but I certainly don't aspire to be one. I can assure you, I have no muggle affliction."

"I'm sure," Ginny said sarcastically, glancing at her friend with a severe expression. "I thought you were above all this pureblood high-and-mighty rubbish, Astoria."

Astoria sat down at her nearly empty table—they were, after all, rather early—and pulled Ginny next to her. "Gin," she whispered, face paling slightly, "be serious. Do you really think I have this—this Ornithobia?

"Ornitho_pho_bia," Ginny corrected, "and yes, to be honest I'm sure of it. Do your palms sweat and your knees shake when a bird flies near? Does your heart rate speed up?" Astoria nodded twice. "Then you've got it. It's nothing to be ashamed—"

Astoria hissed softly, holding Ginny's arm in a vice like grip. "You're kidding, right? Have you forgotten who my family is? Who I'm going to _marry_ one day? Do you _know_ how they'd react to my having some—suffering from a muggle disease? They'll kill me, Gin."

Ginny though hard for a moment. She then gently loosened her friend's hand from her arm and tugged her away from the table, towards the exit. "You really want to get rid of this?"

"God, yes."

"I'll help you do it, then."

Astoria didn't resist as the redhead pulled her down hallways and up stairs, only coming to her senses when her stomach rumbled. "We're missing breakfast."

"Too bad," Ginny said, biting her lip, "this is much more important. Now close your eyes."

Any Slytherin—or even a Ravenclaw pureblood for that matter—would have been automatically wary upon hearing that command. However, Astoria Greengrass had always been just a bit too trusting, especially with those she considered friends. She scrunched her eyelids shut, long lashes tickling her cheeks, and continued to walk where her companion directed her.

"Now keep them closed… Right, that's it, through the door—hang on"—the screech of an opening door—"Now. Open your eyes."

With a growing feeling of dread, Astoria opened her eyes—and promptly shrieked. "_Ginny!_"

"It's all right, all right…" Ginny wrapped her arms around her friend, offering some protection from the thousands of multicolored birds swooping around them. "We're in the Owlery. We're standing here, Tori, surrounded by all these birds—far too many to count—and we're safe, d'you hear me? They _aren't touching us_."

Both girls waited in silence as Astoria's heartbeat steadied and gradually slowed. After a moment she cracked one eyelid, glaring up at her friend. "I really hate you sometimes, you know."

"You know you love me," Ginny replied glibly, sitting down on the straw-covered ground and gesturing for Astoria to follow her lead. "Now. We're going to do this every day for an hour, Astoria. We're going to _make_ you not afraid anymore."

Staring at Ginny's profile, strands of dark red brushed behind her ear, Astoria couldn't find it within her to argue.

**xXxX**

The next few years found a rapid change taking place in the life of one Astoria Greengrass. Ginny's advice had done the trick, and every day since then the brunette had spent at least an hour in the Owlery. After a few weeks, she had even become brave enough to go it alone.

At first Astoria had dreaded the visits. Her greatest fear was, after all, birds—with their sharp talons and their hooked beaks and their cruelly glinting eyes _oh_ _what horrible creatures_—she truly couldn't imagine a more fearsome place. The sight of thousands of the winged monstrosities was enough to force the pureblood to her knees, losing her proud, regal bearing and becoming a terrified mass of quivering flesh on the ground.

It was utterly shameful, and Astoria hoped that nobody would ever find out. True, she was careful to do it late at night or during mealtimes—nobody was likely to send a letter then—but fate always had loved a cruel prank. If a student _did_ happen to see her at her weakest, Astoria knew she would be unable to bear the repercussions.

Sometimes she was positive that she would never get over her fear.

However, about half a year into the 'treatment', as Ginny had taking to calling it, Astoria noticed a difference. No longer did she sweat at the sight of a bird. No longer did her hands shake and her breath begin to speed.

She had managed something—_herself, _with_out_ her wand—and Astoria had never felt prouder.

After that turning point progress was quick.

Within weeks there was no fear at all.

Within months she actually _enjoyed_ time spent with birds, because they reminded her of freedom and breaking boundaries and _doing things herself_.

By the time Astoria was thirteen, over a year after she'd begun to fix herself, the Owlery was her favorite place in all of Hogwarts. She could describe every aspect of it—the rounded windows, the wooden floor, the slatted roof. She knew the placement of straw on the ground and which owls like to sit where. She had memorized the scent of the large room and the feel of its walls and the way light streamed in on a sunny day.

Sometimes Astoria brought homework in, working on increasingly difficult essays for McGonagall and Vector and Sprout. Sometimes she struggled through boring texts, for though Professor Binns' class was a joke his exam was most certainly _not_. Sometimes, being a rare favorite of Professor Snape's, she would use her graces and charm to beg some ingredients off of him for late-night potions practice in the Owlery. After all, Ravenclaw or not, it was _vital_ to her parents that she remain in his good graces. Many all-Slytherin pureblood families were like this—they viewed Snape as the most important figure at Hogwarts because Dumbledore was, well… _barmy_… and McGonagall was just another biased Gryffindor. Some of the other teachers weren't terrible, but it was Snape who had their best interests at heart.

Other times Astoria didn't even bother to bring along her homework. She would stay there all night, huddled against the splintering wall and just watching the beautiful, _wonderful_ owls as they did their job.

She found it so hard to believe that once she had hated them.

After all, this place was more home to her than any other. It wasn't the gilded palace in which she had been raised or the empty, cavernous space that was Malfoy Manor. It wasn't the bustling, chatter-filled halls of her school.

It was lonely and it was quiet and secret and absolutely, irreversibly _hers_.

**xXxX**

Years passed and suddenly Astoria was fourteen, the world a different place around her.

She and Ginny had grown apart. It was regrettable, to be sure, but neither was overly sad about the separation—after all, Astoria had slowly begun losing interest in the antics of muggles and Ginny's infatuation with Potter had grown until she had time for nothing else. Out of respect for their onetime friendship, Astoria refrained from insulting her chosen replacement—snogging a _muggleborn_, honestly—and one day Ginny stopped a couple of overly-antagonistic Gryffindors from hexing Daphne in the halls. It was a fair trade.

The Dark Lord had risen again, as Astoria had known he would. Most purebloods, of course, had been aware of the event for nearly a year before the Ministry had deigned to admit it. She almost felt a bit sorry for Potter—he had no proper background to speak of and was caught in games that were clearly _far_ beyond his comprehension—and hoped that he and Ginny would end up together. If anyone could use a bit of brightness in his life, it was most certainly him.

And then one day, it happened.

Astoria was walking down a corridor, quietly chastising herself. She'd been so _foolish_—she'd forgotten her best quill in the Charms classroom earlier that day and hadn't yet retrieved it. Money wasn't an issue, of course; she could easily buy another one, but she didn't want to. The quill was a special one, inlaid with gold and brass with deep blue plumage, and had been a thoughtful holiday gift from her mother. With the Dark Lord back Astoria didn't dare lose track of any mementos—after all, at any moment she could receive word that her entire family had been killed by either side. Allying oneself with the Dark Lord certainly was no way to ensure safety.

Astoria would have summoned the quill long ago, but there were anti-summoning wards put up all around the castle to prevent thievery. For a brief moment Astoria had paused, wondering how she had known that, but then decided it didn't matter. It had obviously been either Daphne or Ginny—Astoria had never even _opened_ her copy of _Hogwarts, A History_.

"Tori!"

Astoria stopped abruptly, turning her head to see Ginny Weasley hurrying towards her with her robe undone and red hair all knotted up in a bun. She stifled a smile.

Some things, it seemed, never changed.

"Ginny," Astoria called, "how are you?" She hoped this meeting wouldn't be an awkward one—after all, she didn't want to taint memories of their friendship with uncomfortable silences.

Luckily, Ginny seemed to have no such worries. "Tori," she said, panting slightly as she caught up to the younger girl, "I've been looking everywhere for you! Guess what! Katie Bell returned—"

"Yeah, I know," Astoria muttered, scowling down at their feet. How odd; the two of them were walking in sync, just like they used to. Yet another thing that hadn't changed.

"Yeah—I mean, wait. Isn't that good?" Ginny turned to look at Astoria, who paled, not realizing she'd spoken out loud. Of _course_ she didn't enjoy being reminded of the Bell debacle. Astoria was glad, of course, that Katie was all right—she was a sweet girl—but loathed the entire incident because it represented one more of Draco's failures. The entire year Astoria had watched with growing concern as Draco grew more pale and withdrawn. She knew it had _something_ to do with the Dark Lord, especially with Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban, but wasn't sure what. After Katie's attack Astoria had realized that Draco was obviously trying, with little success, to commit a murder. It was a fool's errand, here under Dumbledore's all-seeing gaze.

Astoria, realizing that Ginny was awaiting an answer, glanced up at her. "Of course it's wonderful," she said cautiously. "So. Why've you been looking for me?"

Ginny's smile broadened until she was practically beaming. "Oh. Well. It just happened—I wanted you to be the first to know, before it got out, you know—Harry and I, we snogged!"

Whatever Astoria had been expecting, this was _not_ it. She gaped at her friend before freezing, pulling Ginny to a stop. "Tell me _everything_."

For maybe a quarter hour, the two were just regular girls—two friends, enjoying each others' company and talking about boys. However, this was _Hogwarts_, so any peace could only last so long.

"—and then he took me out for a walk, by the lake, and—" Ginny's babbling stopped abruptly as she cocked her head to one side. "What's that?"

"What?"

"That crying sound, coming out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Ginny said, shaking her head slightly. "It sounds slightly… off. Not like it normally does."

Were it anybody else Astoria would have scoffed and continued on her way, but Ginny Weasley had long since earned her trust. With a sigh, she walked over to the door and shoved it open. "It's probably… j-just…"

The two girls were met with the most shocking scene of their lives.

Draco Malfoy was standing at one of the cracked sinks, gripping the sides with his hand. His wand was floating, sopping wet, in the flood of water by the toilets.

He was sobbing.

Astoria froze, one hand still clutching the doorknob. "Draco," she whispered, face slowly whitening, "_Draco!_ What's wrong?" Beside her, Ginny stared in disbelief.

Draco, tears running down his face, turned towards the two girls. He reached for his wand but slumped over instead, eyes closed, lying peacefully on the ground. Astoria ran to him, checking his pulse, before turning to shriek at Ginny.

"What did you _do_?"

"He was reaching for his wand!" Ginny snapped, kneeling down beside her. "_I'd_ rather not be attacked and my body found in some long-forgotten bathroom, thank you very much!" Her face suddenly softened as she glanced over at Astoria. "Hey, it's all right," she said softly. "He'll be fine."

Astoria shook her head numbly. "No. He won't. Something's been going on with him all _year_, and I've had enough. I'm taking him down to the Owlery so we can talk—I'll stay there all bloody _night_ if I have to."

"Well then." Ginny paused to cast a quick Tempus charm. "It's nearly curfew—"

"—I know that, I'm not asking you to stay—"

"—so we'd better get moving, then," Ginny said, smiling. She cast a featherlight charm on the unconscious boy before lifting him out of the room, Astoria trailing her. She only spoke again once they had reached the door to the Owlery. "Well, that's it, then."

Astoria levitated Draco into the cavernous room, settling him against a corner, and then turned as the redheaded girl began walking away. "Ginny."

Ginny paused, turning. "Yes?"

"Why'd you do it, then," Astoria asked, stepping closer as she looked into the shadowy face. "Why'd you help him? He's a Slytherin. We're both Death Eaters—or as good as. You know that."

Ginny bit her lip, twisting a blazing strand of hair around one finger. "Friends don't desert friends, Tori. And—"

Astoria gasped in shock, suddenly feeling warm lips against her own.

"And," Ginny whispered, "I care." She ran her hand through the Ravenclaw's dark curls once, almost roughly, before pulling away and yanking her own hair out of its plait. "Well, guess I'll be seeing you, then," she said, walking away for the second time.

This time, Astoria knew there would be no turning back.

"Ginny," she called, one hand pressed to her lips. With a sense of déjà vu, she watched Ginny turn.

"Yes?"

"Good luck with Harry." Astoria half-smiled as Ginny's eyebrows rose. She wasn't the only one who could be unexpected, after all.

"Thanks," the older girl said softly, closing the door behind her.

Astoria sighed and sat down, making herself comfortable in the straw of the Owlry. She looked around at the walls of her hideout—the windows, the ceiling, the door—and admired the rustling of its winged inhabitants. Owls really were beautiful creatures.

She pulled Draco's head onto her lap, stroking his smooth, pale skin and the gelled-back blond hair. He looked so peaceful, like he was sleeping.

"It'll be all right, Draco," she said, mind whirling with images of freckled skin and cold gray eyes and skeletal fingers and serpents, coiled black on the arms of _his_ slaves. Draco moaned a bit and Astoria brushed her fingers across his cheek.

Maybe she'd love him one day.

**xXxX**

Yes. So I messed up the time line a bit—in my version, the Quidditch match after which Ginny and Harry kissed was the week before canon, meaning that Harry actually played. And Ginny was proud of him or something so they kissed. I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. Anyway, because Harry was off _snogging_ Ginny (Look! I can be British too! :P) he stopped obsessing over poor Draco and never found him in the bathroom—instead, Astoria and Ginny, who were talking about Ginny's new found status as Harry's girlfriend, did. Does that make any sense?

Oh, and also. I decided to make Astoria a Ravenclaw. I also changed canon character 'unknown' Bundy, muggleborn, to Kassandra Bundwell, half-blood, for purposes of convenience. See, I could see Astoria being a Greengrass and befriending a half-blood, but never a muggleborn. Come on. She's engaged to _Draco Malfoy_.

Sorry to **MidnightEmberMisery**—I really, _really_ tried to write just about the 'paradise' for your competition, but I couldn't! Ideas just kept popping up and before I knew it had turned into a full-blown story…

Anyway. If you liked this, review! Or even if you didn't! Because if you don't, then I will go on a rampage. And destroy the world. So really, it's in everybody's best interest to just hit that little button…


End file.
